Description

Addiction is a significant health and social problem and one of the largest preventable causes of disease globally. Neuroscience promises to revolutionise our ability to treat addiction, lead to recognition of addiction as a 'real' disorder in need of medical treatment and thereby reduce stigma and discrimination. However, neuroscience raises numerous social and ethical challenges: * If addicted individuals are suffering from a brain disease that drives them to drug use, should we mandate treatment? * Does addiction impair an individual's ability to consent to research or treatment? * How will neuroscience affect social policies towards drug use? Addiction Neuroethics addresses these challenges by examining ethical implications of emerging neurobiological treatments, including: novel psychopharmacology, neurosurgery, drug vaccines to prevent relapse, and genetic screening to identify individuals who are vulnerable to addiction. Essential reading for academics, clinicians, researchers and policy-makers in the fields of addiction, mental health and public policy.show more

Table of contents

Preface; 1. Introduction; 2. What is addiction?; 3. The neurobiology of addiction; 4. Neurobiological treatments of addiction; 5. Autonomy, addiction and the public good; 6. Autonomy and the capacity to consent to addiction treatment; 7. The rights of individuals treated for drug, alcohol and tobacco addiction; 8. Coerced treatment of addiction; 9. Ethics of addiction research; 10. New developments in the treatment of addiction; 11. In search of a neurobiological 'cure' of addiction; 12. Preventing addiction and personalised addiction treatment; 13. Feeling 'better than well'; 14. The implications of addiction neurobiology for public policy; 15. Concluding remarks; Index.show more